New Fiction 2021 – May

What Remains of Edith Finch dev. Giant Sparrow (2017)

I told someone that this game is “great” and then realized that isn’t the word for a video game like this, because this isn’t fun or joyous in the way video games are held up to be, even though it is an artistic achievement for sure. But then, some parts are fun, and some parts are joyous, and should I feel guilt for feeling that when the overall work evokes sadness, tragedy, elation, catharsis? (I reckon art is a complicated conjuring in the mind of the audience.) It is a melange of words in many senses. An affirmation of life and its myriad roads to the same destination. A heck of a video game.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – The Fallen dev. The Collective (2000)

A story retold from a different point of view three times, even if the tellings are 75% identical. The first time is fresh and interesting, the second is about finding the similarities, and the third is acceptance of the inevitable trodding down the same ol’ path. It’s a third-person shooter of its era that kept reminding me of other contemporaries like American McGee’s Alice and Grand Theft Auto III. It’s probably the most successful in marrying the source material of Deep Space Nine to a mass market video game.

Bone Tomahawk dir. S. Craig Zahler (2015)

The scene, holy mackerel. Everything leading up to it is just a rad character study and dialogue gliding around on the wind. I don’t know what the state of the modern Western movie is per the critics but I’m sure this falls into some kind of deconstructive category, breaking the genre down into its elements and amping up two of the five or something. It builds the way short fiction builds, the feeling that something is going to happen, it’s going somewhere, and while some such works are content to let it float down to a gentle landing, this movie slams it down on the table.

New Fiction 2021 – April

A Stitch in Time by Andrew J. Robinson (2000)

Star Trek x Godfather II.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Crossroads of Time dev. Novotrade International (1995)

I don’t know where to land here. It’s frustrating until it’s not because one must practice and fail repeatedly to make progress, which is the nature of the thing. Can I hate it for being what it is? Regardless, all these characters and stories make no sense unless the television show is top of mind.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Harbinger dev. Stormfront Studios (1996)

Everything is as stiff as a board, which constraints of the era demanded of it. However, as above, knowledge of the show and its relationships enrich the experience, and in that scenario it is perhaps worth the journey. Special shouts to the writers and voice actors who elevate this several notches above where it appears it should be.

“Burrow” dir. Madeline Sharafian (2020)

It’s to let them help me.

“Genius Loci” dir. Adrien Merigeau (2019)

Sharing space, understanding and regret.

“Opera” dir. Erick Oh (2020)

We’re vital members of society.

“If anything happens I love you” dir. Will McCormack & Michael Govier (2020)

Our capacity is bottomless.

“Já-Fólkið” dir. Gísli Darri (2020)

To exist together.

“Kapaemahu” dir. Kanaka (2020)

A divided people.

“The Snail and the Whale” dir. Max Lang & Daniel Snaddon (2020)

I don’t know. I think it would be nice to have someone.

“To: Gerard” dir. Taylor Meacham (2020)

You really can’t know, so be good.

“The Present” dir. Farah Nabulsi (2020)

The simple fucking dignity.

“Feeling Through” dir. Doug Roland (2020)

You know what they say about life.

“Two Distant Strangers” dir. Travon Free & Martin Desmond Roe (2020)

Trapped because the trawler net stretches back centuries.

“Ayn Levana” dir. Tomer Shushan (2020)

What’s important to you.

“The Letter Room” dir. Elvira Lind (2020)

The fascination is real, as are the consequences.

“Monsters in The Dark” dir. Apollonia Thomaier (2021)

Trust is closely guarded.

“The Tell-Tale Heart” dir. Ted Parmelee (1953)

Everyone has the eye, the eye.

“Captain Yajima” dir. Worthikids (2021)

A master of the craft.

The Pianist dir. Roman Polanski (2002)

Humans,

The Journey of Natty Gann dir. Jeremy Kagan (1985)

If father abandons then father pays.

Aeon Flux dir. Karyn Kusama (2005)

Watch The Invitation.

Lucky dir. Natasha Kermani (2021)

You don’t believe, you don’t believe, you don’t believe.

A New Leaf dir. Elaine May (1971)

The rich man’s legacy.

The Dig dir. Simon Stone (2021)

Let the man dig.

Shipwrecked dir. Nils Gaup (1990)

Keep it under the mattress.

Godzilla vs. Kong dir. Adam Wingard (2021)

Challenged by the mere notion.

Avalon dir. Mamoru Oshii (2001)

It’s only real when you accept that longing is the source of your melancholy.

Nobody dir. Ilya Naishuller (2021)

A middle-aged fantasy.

The Fog dir. John Carpenter (1980)

The blame is always there.

Blood Simple dir. Joel Coen & Ethan Coen (1984)

Desperate measures call for desperate times.

Rango dir. Gore Verbinski (2011)

Performance is the essence of our existence.

The Black Cauldron dir. Ted Berman & Richard Rich (1984)

It must be nice to be born of potential.

Batman: The Killing Joke dir. Sam Liu (2016)

Barb deserves better, but so does any woman in these stories.

Tangled dir. Nathan Greno & Byron Howard (2010)

Youth is a prison.

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run dir. Tim Hill (2020)

Of a different era of celebrity appearances.

Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown dir. Bill Melendez & Phil Roman (1977)

The gas crisis as a repressed memory.

La Casa Lobo dir. Cristóbal León & Joaquín Cociña (2018)

Horrifying history through art, I tell you.

Seoul Station dir. Yeon Sang-ho (2016)

I didn’t see it coming.

The Last Unicorn dir. Arthur Rankin Jr. & Jules Bass (1982)

Quite a mood in this one. Ethereal and lonesome.

Fantastic Planet dir. René Laloux (1973)

Takes me back to the Heavy Metal movie and how strange and different it felt from everything, except of course this begat all of that which arrived in the late seventies and eighties.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)

The new Agent Carter gets shafted in these stories, so I sincerely hope they don’t drop the ball again.

New Fiction 2021 – April

A Stitch in Time by Andrew J. Robinson (2000)

Star Trek x Godfather II.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Crossroads of Time dev. Novotrade International (1995)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Harbinger dev. Stormfront Studios (1996)

“Burrow” dir. Madeline Sharafian (2020)

It’s to let them help me.

“Genius Loci” dir. Adrien Merigeau (2019)

Sharing space, understanding and regret.

“Opera” dir. Erick Oh (2020)

We’re vital members of society.

“If anything happens I love you” dir. Will McCormack & Michael Govier (2020)

Our capacity is bottomless.

“Já-Fólkið” dir. Gísli Darri (2020)

To exist together.

“Kapaemahu” dir. Kanaka (2020)

A divided people.

“The Snail and the Whale” dir. Max Lang & Daniel Snaddon (2020)

I don’t know. I think it would be nice to have someone.

“To: Gerard” dir. Taylor Meacham (2020)

You really can’t know, so be good.

“The Present” dir. Farah Nabulsi (2020)

The simple fucking dignity.

“Feeling Through” dir. Doug Roland (2020)

You know what they say about life.

“Two Distant Strangers” dir. Travon Free & Martin Desmond Roe (2020)

Trapped because the trawler net stretches back centuries.

“Ayn Levana” dir. Tomer Shushan (2020)

What’s important to you.

“The Letter Room” dir. Elvira Lind (2020)

The fascination is real, as are the consequences.

“Monsters in The Dark” dir. Apollonia Thomaier (2021)

Trust is closely guarded.

“The Tell-Tale Heart” dir. Ted Parmelee (1953)

Everyone has the eye, the eye.

“Captain Yajima” dir. Worthikids (2021)

A master of the craft.

The Pianist dir. Roman Polanski (2002)

Humans,

The Journey of Natty Gann dir. Jeremy Kagan (1985)

If father abandons then father pays.

Aeon Flux dir. Karyn Kusama (2005)

Watch The Invitation.

Lucky dir. Natasha Kermani (2021)

You don’t believe, you don’t believe, you don’t believe.

A New Leaf dir. Elaine May (1971)

The rich man’s legacy.

The Dig dir. Simon Stone (2021)

Let the man dig.

Shipwrecked dir. Nils Gaup (1990)

Keep it under the mattress.

Godzilla vs. Kong dir. Adam Wingard (2021)

Challenged by the mere notion.

Avalon dir. Mamoru Oshii (2001)

It’s only real when you accept that longing is the source of your melancholy.

Nobody dir. Ilya Naishuller (2021)

A middle-aged fantasy.

The Fog dir. John Carpenter (1980)

The blame is always there.

Blood Simple dir. Joel Coen & Ethan Coen (1984)

Desperate measures call for desperate times.

Rango dir. Gore Verbinski (2011)

Performance is the essence of our existence.

The Black Cauldron dir. Ted Berman & Richard Rich (1984)

It must be nice to be born of potential.

Batman: The Killing Joke dir. Sam Liu (2016)

Barb deserves better, but so does any woman in these stories.

Tangled dir. Nathan Greno & Byron Howard (2010)

Youth is a prison.

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run dir. Tim Hill (2020)

Of a different era of celebrity appearances.

Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown dir. Bill Melendez & Phil Roman (1977)

The gas crisis as a repressed memory.

La Casa Lobo dir. Cristóbal León & Joaquín Cociña (2018)

Horrifying history through art, I tell you.

Seoul Station dir. Yeon Sang-ho (2016)

I didn’t see it coming.

The Last Unicorn dir. Arthur Rankin Jr. & Jules Bass (1982)

Quite a mood in this one. Ethereal and lonesome.

Fantastic Planet dir. René Laloux (1973)

Takes me back to the Heavy Metal movie and how strange and different it felt from everything, except of course this begat all of that which arrived in the late seventies and eighties.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)

The new Agent Carter gets shafted in these stories, so I sincerely hope they don’t drop the ball again.

New Fiction 2021 – March

“Berserker and Thumbnail Maker” dev. andretchen (2021)

This is a cool mechanic and I wish I had the imagination to see this expanded as a longer game. But this short experience is still fun. It reminds me of Gyromite which will never be dislodged from my psyche.

“In the pines, in the pines, where the sun never shines” dev. Dead Idle Games (2019)

This is a rad little text-based adventure game with visuals to go along with it. I love to see small projects like this and always feel inspired by them.

West of Loathing dev. Asymmetric Publications (2017)

What a weird and fun game. The tone is something like Taika Waititi’s old west. I love seeing games like this make it onto home consoles (Nintendo Switch in my case).

Sonic Mania dev. Christian Whitehead, PagodaWest Games, & Headcannon (2017)

Ah okay, it’s a remix of all the good Sonic games. I enjoyed it and it’s certainly the best Sonic game I’ve played since the Sega Genesis days.

Snatcher dev. Konami (1994)

I’m still kinda reeling after playing this. It’s a very Kojima game with equal parts violence, techno-sociological commentary, adolescent horniness, and strong tone/aesthetic. Ultimately, the Sega CD version I played is just really good. The first half is stronger with its genuine take on noir and investigation gameplay, whereas the second half loses steam when they clearly had to cut content and cram it all into long expository cutscenes. It’s still an impressively long game with plenty to chew on.

“Where’s Ghislaine” dir. Molly Lambert (2020)

I had to google the name “Ghislaine” afterward to get it. I enjoyed the romp around Hollywood, just like old times.

“Weirdos Go Shopping” dir. Carrie Brownstein (2016)

Short film? Skit. Anyway this is typical “holy shit, that’s Portland af” territory from the show. And funny, I should mention that.

WandaVision (2021)

Most of it’s a great exploration of grief and horror. The final necessary franchise bits are okay, but not the point of the thing.

New Fiction 2021 – March

“Berserker and Thumbnail Maker” dev. andretchen (2021)

“In the pines, in the pines, where the sun never shines” dev. Dead Idle Games (2019)

This is a rad little text-based adventure game with visuals to go along with it. I love to see small projects like this and always feel inspired by them.

West of Loathing dev. Asymmetric Publications (2017)

What a weird and fun game. The tone is something like Taika Waititi’s old west. I love seeing games like this make it onto home consoles (Nintendo Switch in my case).

Sonic Mania dev. Christian Whitehead, PagodaWest Games, & Headcannon (2017)

Ah okay, it’s a remix of all the good Sonic games. I enjoyed it and it’s certainly the best Sonic game I’ve played since the Sega Genesis days.

Snatcher dev. Konami (1994)

“Where’s Ghislaine” dir. Molly Lambert (2020)

I had to google the name “Ghislaine” afterward to get it. I enjoyed the romp around Hollywood, just like old times.

“Weirdos Go Shopping” dir. Carrie Brownstein (2016)

Short film? Skit. Anyway this is typical “holy shit, that’s Portland af” territory from the show. And funny, I should mention that.

WandaVision (2021)

Most of it’s a great exploration of grief and horror. The final necessary franchise bits are okay, but not the point of the thing.

New Fiction 2021 – February

“Time capsule found on the dead planet” by Margaret Atwood (2009)

I don’t even think they’d find a time capsule.

“The Street” by H.P. Lovecraft (1920)

Lovecraft can fuck off with his anti-immigrant shit. Foreigners are just more horrors for him to obsess over.

“The Crooked Man” by Charles Beaumont (1955)

I’m not sure of the intent here, though the prevailing opinion is that he wrote this for straight people to understand, as opposed to a warning to straight people. I guess I’m mired in a mood that makes me think it’s the latter.

The Left Hand of Destiny, Book One by J.G. Hertzler & Jeffrey Lang (2003)

This is Lord of the Rings but Star Trek. Epic quests, unbeatable foes, magical mind control and tons of action. I guess it’s faster-paced than that fantasy series, moves along quickly. Until…

The Left Hand of Destiny, Book Two by J.G. Hertzler & Jeffrey Lang (2003)

A novel that spends the first 25% or so on exposition and explanations for all the mysteries of the first book. But it picks up again and all in all, this is some well-written sci-fi melodrama. Best saved until after one has watched all of Deep Space Nine. The characters are far richer when you hear their voice and see their mannerisms as you read.

“Assembly Line” by Shu Ting (1992)

Bobbing heads in a row.

“Bride” by Maggie Smith (2020)

You are what you need.

“Words Heard, By Accident, Over The Phone” by Sylvia Plath (1962)

Assembled stories.

“Diving into the Wreck” by Adrienne Rich (1973)

The thing itself.

Saga of the Swamp Thing, Book One by Alan Moore, Stephen Bisette, John Totleben, Dan Day, Rick Veitch, Tatjana Wood, John Costanza, Todd Klein (1984-1987)

This book… or rather, these stories. It’s all familiar territory in a post-Vertigo world so the context of 1984-1987 matters. This all feels like Gaiman’s run on Sandman except this came before that and, as I understand it, Moore’s run on Swamp Thing really kicked things off. The tone is dark, moody, and contemplative, all of which speak to the depths of my soul. The art is amazing, and I wish I had the terminology to describe it but suffice to say so many panels could just be extracted and framed on a wall, and it gets better with each story. The horror element is also surprising but Moore chose the perfect character to express it. There are five more volumes of this and I intend to read them all.

Sayonara Wild Hearts dev. Simogo (2019)

I saw this on display many times at many conventions and shows, but I couldn’t comprehend what I was seeing amid the chaos. Now, in peace and in VR, I see. It’s an incredible achievement, a fusion of pop music and video game that is a music video given life.

Outer Wilds dev. Mobius Digital (2019)

I love the central conceit of The Outer Wilds just like I love it in Majora’s Mask and Minit, but did not expect the type of open physics-kissed exploration from Grow Up/Grow Home. My head is still in the stars over this game. The rumor map from Outer Wilds is the best version of a quest tracker in all of video games, and it’s even better because you’re so engrossed that it absolutely becomes a conspiracy wall, lines connecting thoughts and leads. I’m really just happy to still discover a sense of surprise and wonder in a video game after all these decades.

The Piano Lesson by August Wilson (1987)

Ghosts are real and I think we fail to recognize them in our search for the obstacles ahead.

“The Legend of Beavis” dir. KhalidSMShahin (2021)

This is perfect. The painstaking effort to make something like this for the YouTube masses…

Psycho Goreman dir. Steven Kostanski (2021)

I heard it best described as a College Humor skit stretched out to full-length feature and that about covers it.

Judas and the Black Messiah dir. Shaka King (2021)

A tough but interesting watch. We live under a specter of assassination in our names. Dominique Fishback and Daniel Kaluuya were the heart.

Willy’s Wonderland dir. Kevin Lewis (2021)

A seminal entry in the Nic Cage film genre of the early 21st century.

Minari dir. Lee Isaac Chung (2020)

Minari’s family has no one but themselves. The movie says “this family has chosen to struggle this way as a means to survive.”

Nomadland dir. Chloé Zhao (2020)

Meanwhile, this movie seemed to glorify poverty a bit, the freedom that comes with not having a house. It’s a POV for sure and can be a valid life choice, but I got hung up on its detachment from the struggles of a life in poverty. And then I read about the director as a child of wealthy business owners and couldn’t help but compare this director’s background to that of Minari’s. This character has a support network that will support her even if she prefers not to accept their support. Nomadland seems to say “this character has chosen to struggle this way as a means to discover herself.”

The Simpsons – “Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington” dir. Lance Kramer (2003)

The cynicism of this show somehow still results in a positive outcome, because sitcom.

The Simpsons – “C.E. D’oh” dir. Mike B. Anderson (2003)

And then there’s the message that an everyman can do worse than the overpaid and underworked CEOs than run things.

Fleabag – Series 1 & 2 (2016, 2019)

All I really knew about this show before getting into it was that it features a hot priest, and I recall thinking that is very much a Tumblr thing to observe. Having watched it all now, it’s a real gem and clever in its manipulation of the fourth wall. I’m also glad it’s not the kind of show to go on for years and years.

Undone (2019)

I like the rotoscoped style and its dwelling in the chasm between imaginary and real experiences, and what it even means for something to be real. Looking forward to the next season.

New Fiction 2021 – February

“Time capsule found on the dead planet” by Margaret Atwood (2009)

I don’t even think they’d find a time capsule.

“The Street” by H.P. Lovecraft (1920)

Lovecraft can fuck off with his anti-immigrant shit. Foreigners are just more horrors for him to obsess over.

“The Crooked Man” by Charles Beaumont (1955)

The Left Hand of Destiny, Book One by J.G. Hertzler & Jeffrey Lang (2003)

This is Lord of the Rings but Star Trek. Epic quests, unbeatable foes, magical mind control and tons of action. I guess it’s faster-paced than that fantasy series, moves along quickly. Until…

The Left Hand of Destiny, Book Two by J.G. Hertzler & Jeffrey Lang (2003)

“Assembly Line” by Shu Ting (1992)

Bobbing heads in a row.

“Bride” by Maggie Smith (2020)

You are what you need.

“Words Heard, By Accident, Over The Phone” by Sylvia Plath (1962)

Assembled stories.

“Diving into the Wreck” by Adrienne Rich (1973)

The thing itself.

Saga of the Swamp Thing, Book One by Alan Moore, Stephen Bisette, John Totleben, Dan Day, Rick Veitch, Tatjana Wood, John Costanza, Todd Klein (1984-1987)

Sayonara Wild Hearts dev. Simogo (2019)

Outer Wilds dev. Mobius Digital (2019)

The Piano Lesson by August Wilson (1987)

Ghosts are real and I think we fail to recognize them in our search for the obstacles ahead.

“The Legend of Beavis” dir. KhalidSMShahin (2021)

This is perfect. The painstaking effort to make something like this for the YouTube masses…

Psycho Goreman dir. Steven Kostanski (2021)

I heard it best described as a College Humor skit stretched out to full-length feature and that about covers it.

Judas and the Black Messiah dir. Shaka King (2021)

A tough but interesting watch. We live under a specter of assassination in our names. Dominique Fishback and Daniel Kaluuya were the heart.

Willy’s Wonderland dir. Kevin Lewis (2021)

A seminal entry in the Nic Cage film genre of the early 21st century.

Minari dir. Lee Isaac Chung (2020)

Minari’s family has no one but themselves. The movie says “this family has chosen to struggle this way as a means to survive.”

Nomadland dir. Chloé Zhao (2020)

The Simpsons – “Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington” dir. Lance Kramer (2003)

The cynicism of this show somehow still results in a positive outcome, because sitcom.

The Simpsons – “C.E. D’oh” dir. Mike B. Anderson (2003)

And then there’s the message that an everyman can do worse than the overpaid and underworked CEOs than run things.

Fleabag – Series 1 & 2 (2016, 2019)

Undone (2019)

I like the rotoscoped style and its dwelling in the chasm between imaginary and real experiences, and what it even means for something to be real. Looking forward to the next season.

New Fiction 2021 – January

“The Night Face Up” by Julio Cortazar and Paul Blackburn (trans.) (1967)

A transcendental nightmare.

“The Use of Force” by William Carlos Williams (1938)

Kids will go to war, no doubt.

“A Conversation from the Third Floor” by Mohamed Al Bisatie (2003)

Little time for life together.

“The Mexican” by Jack London (1911)

The white man’s game.

“Battles in the Desert” by José Emilio Pacheco (1980)

Leave the trees alone.

“Second Star to the Right…” by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens (1999)

Depth to the hologram.

“First Steps” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (1999)

To stand and lead.

“Dead Man’s Hand” by Jeffrey Lang (1999)

Technobabble’s beginnings.

“Old Souls” by Michael Jan Friedman (1999)

A surgeon’s hands are golden.

“Sins of the Mother” by S.D. Perry (1999)

Control of one’s soul.

“Infinity” by Susan Wright (1999)

The cost of going where no one has gone before.

“Allegro Ouroboros in D Minor” by S.D. Perry and Robert Simpson (1999)

Perfection’s the thing.

“The Music Between the Notes” by Steven Barnes (1999)

Complexity of existence.

“Reflections” by L.A. Graf (1999)

Desperate for meaning.

“…and straight on ‘til morning” by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens (1999)

The infinity of Las Vegas.

“Guernica” by James Johnson Sweeney (1940)

The terror of a horse and serenity of a bull.

“The Colonel” by Carolyn Forché (1978)

Ears to the ground.

“The Diameter of the Bomb” by Yehuda Amichai (1979)

It is vast.

“Sonnet” by Yehuda Amichai (1958)

What the son must do.

“1937? What did they tell you? Qué te contaron? Ki konte ou?” by Julia Alvarez (2019)

Bloody ribbons.

“The Octopus” by José Emilio Pacheco (1985)

Inheritor of the construct.

The Crossroads at Midnight by Abby Howard (2021)

To pay for the sins.

“How to Fish” dir. Jack Kinney (1942)

Catch ‘em while you can.

Chef dir. Jon Favreau (2014)

Luxurious grease shots.

The Old Guard dir. Gina Prince-Bythewood (2020)

The threat of immortality.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World dir. Edgar Wright (2010)

Canadian Street Fighter.

The Lovebirds dir. Michael Showalter (2020)

Cults of finance.

Creature from the Black Lagoon dir. Jack Arnold (1954)

The murky dance.

The Midnight Sky dir. George Clooney (2020)

At last, the end.

Promising Young Woman dir. Emerald Fennell (2020)

Inevitable consequences.

Wonder Woman 1984 dir. Patty Jenkins (2020)

Incoherent dreams.

The Little Things dir. John Lee Hancock (2021)

It weighs you down.

Mickey Mouse – “Croissant de Triomphe” (2013)

Buttery brown quest.

Mickey Mouse – “No Service” (2013)

The once crowded places.

Mickey Mouse – “Yodelberg” (2013)

Will we ever get a holiday?

Mickey Mouse – “New York Weenie” (2013)

Better eaten than free.

Mickey Mouse – “Tokyo Go” (2013)

You’ll get there, someday.

Mickey Mouse – “Stayin’ Cool” (2013)

Eternal quest.

The Queen’s Gambit (2020)

But for a moment to think.

The Boys – Seasons 1 & 2 (2019-2020)

Too many boys.

Hunters – Season 1 (2020)

Seeing the forest for the nazis.

The Mandalorian – Season 2 (2020)

A greatest hits.

Cobra Kai – Seasons 1-3 (2018-2019, 2021)

Alternate karate universe.

Virgin River – Seasons 1-2 (2019-2020)

A cozy place to sip tea.